Apparatus for packaging venetian blind installation brackets



y 1951 H. K. LORENTZEN 2,554,624

APPARATUS FOR PACKAGING VENETIAN BLIND INSTALLATION BRACKETS Filed Sept. 23, 1949 INVENTOR I H/M/S K. ZORf/VTZF/I/ HIS ATTORNEYS Patented May 29, 1951 APPARATUS FOR PACKAGING VENETIAN BLIND INSTALLATION BRACKETS Hans K. Lorentzen, Montclair, N. J., assignor to Lorentzen Hardware Mfg. Corp., New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application September 23, 1949, Serial No. 117,419

' 6 Claims. (Cl. 226-2) This invention relates to a device for facilitating the packaging of Venetian blind installation brackets.

Venetian blind installation brackets are usually formed of sheet metal stampings, and have a more or less square or rectangular outline. These brackets are customarily given a painted or enamelled finish. It is often desirable to package the brackets in pairs, since a pair of brackets is required for the installation of one blind. A-

pair of brackets consists of a right-hand and lefthand bracket which are nested together and placed, together with wood screws for mounting the brackets, in a small bag, usually a paper-bag.

In order not to mar-the front and outer side surfaces of the brackets, they are so nested that, when inserted in the bag, these surfaces of one bracket are not in contact with the outer bracket but are against the inside surface of the bag. However, the mounting screws have a tendency to slip between the outside surface of the bracket and the bag and mar theoutside surface.

To overcome the marring of the surfaces of the installation brackets by the screws, the required number of screws are inserted into the bag between the brackets of the nested pair, the bag closely fitting about the brackets so that there is insufficient room for the screws to slip between the brackets and the bag. To further alleviate the possibility of marring and to facilitate packaging, the required number of screws for one pair of brackets may be united by a covering strip of paper.

The present invention is directed to a device for facilitating such packaging of installation brackets and mounting screws. In the form shown, this device comprises a chute which extends downwardly and forwardly towards the operator and is proportioned to telescopically receive a bag and hold the bag in extended open position. A pair of brackets is nested on an assembly area adjoining the chute and is then inserted as a unit into the bag by sliding the brackets laterally and then permitting them to slide down the chute into the bag.

Above the chute, and in alignment therewith, a receptacle is preferably provided to hold a supply of screws, one paper of screws being passed down the chute and into each bag either before or after inserting the brackets into the bag. After the brackets and screws are inserted Within the bag, the bag is stripped from the chute and the open end folded over or otherwise closed.

An object of the present invention is to provide a device for expeditiously bagging Venetian blind installation brackets.

Another object is to provide such a device which facilitates the nesting of the brackets prior to insertion into the bag.

Additional objects are to provide such a device in which insertion of mounting screws into the bag is also facilitated, and to provide such a device that is durable and may be rapidly and inexpensively manufactured from sheet metal stampings.

Further objects, and objects relating to details and economies of construction, manufacture and use will more definitely appear from the detailed description to follow.

My invention is clearly defined in the appended claims. In the claims, as well as in the description, parts may at times be identified by specific names for clarity and convenience, but such nomenclature is to be understood as having the broadest meaning consistent with the context and concept of my invention as distinguished from the pertinent prior art. The best form in which I have contemplated applying my invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings forming part of this specification, in which:

Fig. 1 is an isometric view of the packaging apparatus, per se.

Fig. 2 is a view similar to Fig. l, a supply of bags, a supply of screws, and one bracket being shown in conjunction with the apparatus.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary isometric view showing the packaging apparatus, and a nested pair of brackets being inserted into a bag.

Fig. 4 is an isometric view of the bag after the brackets have been inserted.

Reference Will now be had to the drawings, in which the same reference character will denote the same part throughout the several views. A flat-bottomed, open-top receptacle i0 is provided to hold a supply of wood screws. Four screws are required for mounting a pair of brackets; and preferably four screws 9 are mounted in a paper strip or carrier I l in such manner that the paper covers the point and thread of each screw. The receptacle I0, is preferably constructed of sheet metal and is supported by upstanding side members [2, one being shown. Each member l2 has a horizontal flange l4 provided with holes for the passage of screws I5, I5, which secure the receptacle ID to a bench or table l3 at a convenient height.

The forward end I6 of the receptacle I0 is provided with a passageway ll through which the strip H of screws may be manually withdrawn as required.

An inverted L-member designated as a whole by 19, adjoins the forward end l6 of the receptacle I and extends downwardly and forwardly therefrom. Inclined portions of the side members I 2 serve to support the L-member l9.

The vertical leg of the L-member is generally aligned with the passageway I1 of the receptacle l0. Upstanding flanges ,2! and-22c);- tend along the sides of the vertical leg 20. The distance between the flanges 2| and 22 is suflicient to just provide convenient clearance for the.

passage of a nested pair 24 of installation brackets to be bagged, and the flanges 2| and 22 are of a height at least equal to the height of the nested pair 24 of installation brackets seeFig 3.=.

The flanges 2| and 22 together-with vertical leg 20 of the L-member form a chute of suitable" cross-sectional area to tele s cgpically receive.. -a;,

bag 25, which will closely receive the nested pair 24 of installation brackets, see Figs. 2 and-3r The terminus 26 of the vertical leg 20 of the L-memher. is iconvergent. to facilitate ..the.:telescoping. :of

the bag. onto .thechute. To; further. aid. the telescoping of the bag onto,the;chute-the.endsof= A vertical member-:30:=adjacent the rear of the receptacle I0 is provided with a shelf 3l-to hold a supply of bags 25,- Horizontal flanges 34 (one shown) having holes for the passage-ofscrews [5 are located on the bottom ofthe verticalmember 39, whereby the member SO-maybese- An upstanding flange cured as shown to theebench or-table. To hold astack of-bags insuch manner that the stack will tend to hug the back ofmemb er filltheshelf 3| is preferably inclined --rearwardly-downwardly as shown.

The i entire apparatus -canbe economically manufactured from sheetmetal stamping. pref erably from sheet-steel; which make -a durable but inexpensivedevice that will facilitate the packaging of nested-pairs ofinstallationbrackets.'-

To package the installation brackets, thedevice is mounted'near the forward edge of; a table or bench I3 at a convenient height The chute will extend overthe front edgeof -the table;; see

Figs. 1, 2 and 3. A-suppl-y-of-bags25 is placed;-

on the shelf 3i and a supply of papers or-strips H of screws is placed inthereceptacle I0;'- Each;

strip of screws contains-the required number to mount one pair of installationbracketsr A supply of left-hand and right-handinstallationbrackets (not shown-) is located adjacent theoperator.

A bag 25 is removed from the shelf-at-the rear,--opened and telescoped onto thechute; An

installation bracket of-one hand is "placedin' the assembly area of the horizontal 1eg-21-of the L-member against the flangeq- 29,? the bracket being in the orientedposition shown-in-Fig;-=2.-

A bracket of the opposite hand is-then-placed in up-side-down position over the bracket -28 to make a nestedpair 24 of installation brackets. This pair 24 is then shifted to the left to the chute. The pair of brackets slides down -the chute into the bag 25; and, at that time, it; is desirable that the operator hold 'the -bag25 with 4 his left hand to prevent it from being displaced from the chute. A strip ll of screws is slid down the chute either before or after the nested pair of brackets is slid into the bag. With the screws and brackets in the bag the bag is removed fromthe chuteand flap-32 folded over, see Fig. 4.

The form of bracket 2B-which is shown is that disclosed in Nelson U. S. Patent 2,473,293 issued June 14, 1949. The invention is particularly suited for bagging this bracket and other brackets pf similar; configuration.

I claim:

1., Apparatus to facilitate the bagging of nested pairs of -venetian blind installation brackets together with their mounting screws, said apparatus comprising an opened-topped flat-bottomed receptacle for holding a supply of mountingscrews; a passageway at the forward end of the receptacle through: which mounting screws may. be i. manuallyrwithdrawnv as 1 required; a

downwardly andforwardly inclined inverted L-.--

member adjoining the forward end of the re ceptacle, thevertical leg oftheuL-memberzbeing generally aligned with 1 said. opening in there.-

closely receive a nested pair of :installation brackets, the horizontal leg of the L-member provid ing an assembly area for nesting a pair of brackets preliminary to shifting the pair down'the chute into the-bag; and-an upstanding flangeat the bottom of said assembly area for holding the brackets while theyare being nested .and thereafter guiding them *tothe chute.

2. Apparatus to facilitate the bagging of nested pairsof Venetian'blind installation brackets together with their mounting -screws,- said apparatus comprising: an opened-topped receptacle for holding a supplyof mounting screws; a-passageway at the forward end of the receptacle through which mounting screws maybe manually with-- drawn as required; and a-downwardly and forwardly inclined inverted L member adjoining the forward end of the receptacle, the vertical legof the L-member being generally aligned with said opening in the receptacle and having upstanding flanges on the sidesthereof, the distance v between said flanges being sufficient to provide clearance for the passage of a nested pairgof installation brackets to be bagged and said flanges having a height at least equal to-the height of a nested pair of installation brackets; said flanges and the vertical leg forming a chute of suitable cross sectional area to telescopically receive a-bag which will closely receive ;a nested pair of installation brackets, thehorizontal leg of the L-member providing an assemblyarea for nesting a pair of bracketspreliminary to shifting the pair down the chute into the bag.

3. Apparatusto facilitate the bagging of nested pairs of Venetian-blind installation brackets-together withtheir mounting screws, said apparatus-comprising; a-receptacle -for holding a supply of mounting screws; a passageway at the-forward i end ofthe'receptacle through which mounting screws may be manually withdrawn as required;

a vertical member adjacent the-rear of the recep tacle having a shelf member for holding-a supply 5 of bags; a downwardly and forwardly inclined inverted L-member adjoining the forward end of the receptacle, the vertical leg of the L-member being generally aligned with said opening in the .receptacle and having upstanding flanges on the sides thereof, the distance between said flanges being sufficient to provide clearance for the passage of a nested pair of installation brackets to be bagged and said flanges having a height at least equal to the height of the nested pair of installation brackets, said flanges and the vertical leg forming a chute of suitable cross-sectional area to telescopically receive a ba which will closely receive a nested pair of installation brackets, the terminus of the vertical leg of the L-member being convergent to facilitate the telescoping of the bag onto the chute, the horizontal leg of the L-member providing an assembly area for nesting a pair of brackets preliminary to shifting the pair down the chute into the bag; and an upstanding flange at the bottom of the assembly area for holding the brackets while they are being nested and thereafter guiding them to the chute.

4. Apparatus to facilitate the bagging of nested pairs of Venetian blind installation brackets together with their mounting screws, said apparatus comprising: a receptacle for holding a supply of mounting screws; a passageway at the forward end of the receptacle through which mounting screws may be manually withdrawn as required; an inclined inverted L-member adjoining the forward end of the receptacle, the vertical leg of the L-member having upstanding flanges on the sides thereof, the distance between said flanges being sufficient to provide clearance for the passage of a nested pair of installation brackets to be bagged and said flanges having a height at least equal to the height of the nested pair of installation brackets, said flanges and the vertical leg forming a chute of suitable cross-sectional area to telescopically receive a bag which will closely receive a nested pair of installation brackets, the terminus of the vertical leg of the L-member being convergent to facilitate the telescoping of the bag onto the chute, the horizontal leg of the L-member providing an assembly area for nesting a pair of brackets preliminary to shifting the pair down the chute into the bag; and an upstanding flange at the bottom of the assembly area for holding the brackets while they are being nested and thereafter guiding them to the chute.

5. Apparatus to facilitate the bagging of nested pairs of Venetian blind installation brackets together with their mounting screws, said apparatus comprising: a receptacle for holding a supply of mounting screws; a passageway I at the forward end of the receptacle through which mounting screws may be manually withdrawn as required; and a downwardly and forwardly inclined inverted L-member adjoining the forward end of the receptacle, the vertical leg of the L-member being generally aligned with said opening in the receptacle and having upstanding flanges on the sides thereof, the distance between said flanges being sufficient to provide clearance for the passage of a nested pair of installation brackets to be bagged and said flanges having a height at least equal to the height of the nested pair of installation brackets, said flanges and the vertical le forming a chute of suitable cross-sectional area to telescopically receive a bag which will closely receive a nested pair of installation brackets, the horizontal leg of the L-member providing an assembly area for nesting a pair of brackets preliminary to shifting the pair down the chute into the bag.

6. Apparatus to facilitate the bagging of nested pairs of Venetian blind installation brackets together with their mounting screws, said apparatus comprising: a receptacle for holding a supply of mounting screws; a passageway at the forward end of the receptacle through which mounting screws may be manually withdrawn as required; and a downwardly and forwardly inclined inverted L-member adjoining the forward end of the receptacle, the vertical leg of the L-member being generally aligned with said opening in the receptacle and having upstanding flanges on the sides thereof, the distance between said flanges being sufficient to provide clearance for the passage of a nested pair of installation brackets to be bagged and said flanges having a height at least equal to the height of the nested pair of installation brackets, said flanges and the vertical leg forming a chute of suitable cross-sectional area to telescopically receive a bag which will closely receive a nested pair of installation brackets, the terminus of the vertical leg of the L-member being convergent to facilitate the telescoping of the bag onto the chute, the horizontal leg of the L-member providin an assembly area for nesting a pair of brackets preliminary to shifting the pair down the chute into the bag.

HANS K. LO'RENTZE'N.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 961,832 Ayers, Jr. June 21, 1910 1,415,075 Wilbur May 9, 1922 

